Local representatives have called for an urgent update from the Western Trust as concerns were raised about the future of maternity services at the South West Acute Hospital.
A report in the Fermanagh Herald this week said several obstetrics and gynaecology consultants in the Enniskillen hospital were leaving their positions as they would no longer have access to a general surgeon if a procedure goes wrong.
A public consultation is currently ongoing as to the future of emergency general surgery at the hospital, with the service currently withdrawn and patients being brought to Altnagelvin or Craigavon instead.
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In a recent "fact checking document" released by the Western Trust, it states clearly that obstetrics, gynaecology and maternity services would not be affected, but councillors called on the Trust to clarify this at a meeting on Thursday night.
The Trust continues to maintain that the rota for consultants in the obs and gynae department is stable and that it is "committed" to the service.
A special council meeting was called to strike the district rate for the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area, but a motion from UUP councillor Diana Armstrong calling for the Trust to urgently update local representatives on ‘current and envisaged’ consultant staffing levels was passed unanimously.
“We are seeing the unravelling of all the assurances and mitigations that have been promised by the Trust,” Cllr Donal O’Cofaigh said in support of the motion.
“It is hugely concerning that we may have a staffing crisis now spreading to other acute provisions within the hospital.”
Sinn Féin group leader and Enniskillen councillor Tommy Maguire said the reports emerging were ‘very worrying’.
“The press release in yesterday’s paper is pouring more petrol on already unsettled waters in relation to the future of our services at the SWAH,” Cllr Maguire said.
“When we ask somebody on a board and we get an answer, the least we should expect that that is a truthful answer, but yet we pick up the local paper and there’s a story that tells us something entirely different.”
SDLP councillor Adam Gannon said the Trust board had ignored all concerns and questions about the provisions of maternity services at the hospital.
“No one in Fermanagh I’ve been speaking to believes the Trust has a single shred of integrity and that they’ve brought this on themselves,” Cllr Gannon said.
A spokesperson for the Western Trust said the SWAH was funded for six full time consultants and the rota was stable, but added that it was preparing a recruitment process for new consultants.
“The Obs and Gynae Consultant rota at South West Acute Hospital remains stable,” the spokesperson said.
“The Trust is committed to Obstetric and Gynaecology Services, including all Maternity services at the South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen.
“South West Acute Hospital is funded for six Wholetime Equivalent Consultant Obstetricians. Six Consultants are currently on the rota. Preparations for recruitment are ongoing.”
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